[Interview] Yuseonghun, Geumcheon-gu Mayor: "Geumcheon-gu Office Station Complex Development Creates New Value for Geumcheon"

Geumcheon-gu Office Station Reborn as a Multifunctional Complex Station... Construction of a Large General Hospital with 800 Beds to Improve Local Public Healthcare Services... Private Land Acquisition Procedures Underway for Sinansan Line Double-Track Railway Construction Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “Through the Geumcheon-gu Office Station complex development project, we will erase the old image of Geumcheon-gu Office Station, which is the face of Geumcheon-gu, recreate it as a new brand of Geumcheon, improve the quality of life for residents, and do our best to create a happy city Geumcheon that residents are proud of.”

Yoo Sung-hoon, the mayor of Geumcheon-gu, recently stated in an interview, “We will improve the aging facilities of Geumcheon-gu Office Station and transform this gateway of Geumcheon into a complex station that encompasses both residential and cultural functions.”

Geumcheon-gu Office Station was built in 1981, and its facilities have become outdated with limited convenience facilities, causing inconvenience for residents. Moreover, due to the influence of the district government complex and apartment complex developments nearby, the floating population has surged, making facility improvements urgent.

The “Geumcheon-gu Office Station Complex Development Project” involves supplying 230 units of happy housing for young people and newlyweds on the adjacent abandoned oil tank site, and constructing a new station (total floor area 1,600㎡) with mixed functions such as commercial, office, and cultural facilities on the current station site (total floor area 900㎡).

The district started with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korail and LH in 2018 and established a basic plan through the “Geumcheon-gu Office Station Complex Development Concept Study” last year. After several consultations with related organizations, Korail is promoting a public offering for private developers this year, making significant progress in the complex development project.

Through this project, the old and poor Geumcheon-gu Office Station will be reborn as a complex station with various functions including happy housing with childcare facilities and startup spaces, as well as public, neighborhood living, commercial, office, and cultural facilities.

Korail plans to select a preferred negotiation partner through the private developer public offering by August this year, obtain approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the complex station and happy housing, start construction by the end of this year, and aim for completion in 2025 to accelerate the project.

In addition, the district is promoting a large-scale general hospital construction project with 800 beds, 5 basement floors to 18 above-ground floors, on the former Daehan Electric Wire site (area 80,985㎡) in front of Geumcheon-gu Office Station. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2021 and be completed by 2025. This hospital will include a regional emergency medical center and recruit over 100 top-level doctors to enhance the status of the local healthcare system.

Furthermore, the Sinansan Line double-track railway construction project, a major transportation infrastructure expansion project that can solve the district’s public transportation problems and transform it into a railway transportation hub, is progressing smoothly. The basic design was completed in 2012, and currently, land acquisition procedures are underway. Vertical shaft excavation work has already started on some national and public lands where compensation is not required, and the line is expected to open in 2024.

Mayor Yoo said, “Geumcheon-gu is located on the outskirts of Seoul and has a strong negative image. The new complex station with an appearance and history befitting the gateway of Geumcheon and the large general hospital responsible for the health of local residents will become landmarks symbolizing Geumcheon’s future.” He added, “In addition to expanding transportation infrastructure through the Sinansan Line project, the district’s image itself will change.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.